The Snowdrop Princess
by CielCadet
Summary: A new girl has moved into the Amamizukan! She actually passed the Sisterhood Test! What the girls don't know is that, like Kuranosuke, this girl is a boy princess! When they find out that she has a successful fashion line of her own, tensions grow in the Amamizukan! Then things get even more complicated between the girls! Short story.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Princess Snowdrop Makes An Entrance!

A month had passed since the fashion show debuting Tsukimi's Jellyfish line. Amamizukan's living room floor was covered in sheer fabrics. Tsukimi's face was completely red.

"Why is this happening to us?! I thought we were going to make wedding dresses!" Tsukimi said, sounding beyond embarrassed.

"That's a whole new level of fashion. For now, we'll have to try the _Victoria's Secret_ way!" Kuranosuke said, smiling. He picked up the fabric, smiling. "Think about it as—honeymoon material!" Steam blew out of Tsukimi's ears.

 _Dear Mom,_

 _I can't believe I'll be making lingerie! After all of that hard work making a boy into a princess… I don't think I'm even old enough to wear things like this! It's so unfair… But maybe I can make one look like a Rhizostoma. That would be nice, I think… Mom, did you become a jellyfish at night too?_

Tsukimi, wearing her usual grey sweats, began drawing. Kuranosuke, as usual, was cross-dressing. He was wearing a long, wavy blonde wig, a red chiffon top with petal sleeves, a black mini skirt, and tall brown boots. Of course, he had his fake eyelashes on, with smoky, grey-blue eye shadow. He had been hit on by some high school boys on the way there, but he knew what to say and walked out of their faces like he was on the runway.

"Oh? You have an idea already?" Kuranosuke said, sounding excited. He sat down next to her, watching. He would look over at her face once and a while, watching her unkempt brows furrow. "You know, you should let me pluck your eyebrows soon. They're really branching out."

"They are?" Tsukimi said, stopping to look at him. Kuranosuke blushed.

"It's okay! For now! Go ahead! Draw! Draw!" Kuranosuke said. _"Sometimes I can see her eyes as if there aren't any glasses hiding them. I mean, the glasses are charming, but her lashes are so long! They're so pretty…"_ he thought.

Suddenly, Chieko entered the room with a book in her arms. Her face suddenly turned red.

"WHAT IS ALL OF THIS?!" she screamed. Mayaya, Banba, and Jiji entered behind her, all holding the same book.

"It looks like the very sacred silk for the concubines in the _Book of Wu!_ " Mayaya cried.

"Where did all of you go?" Kuranosuke asked.

"To a book signing. We took a newer model than usual home. It was so fast..." Banba said, smiling, thinking about the train they rode.

"Yes, to get a book signed written by a handsome, older man…" Jiji said, blushing.

"It's about the kimonos of the _Meiji_ era," Chieko said. "Are you… making… underwear?" Tsukimi's face turned red again and she flailed her arms.

"No! No! No! Just nightgowns! I promise!" Tsukimi cried, dropping her sketchbook.

"So, why are they so… sheer?" Chieko said, raising a brow.

"Don't you know? Sheer is in! It's far more… _affectionate_ , you know?" Kuranosuke said, smiling. All of them suddenly turned to stone. "What? It's true!"

"Well! I don't want any of this in the living room! We are expecting a guest! Well, she won't be a guest for too long… She will be the new member of the Sisterhood!"

"Another member?" Tsukimi said, looking a bit unsure.

"Yes. She'll be staying in the cursed room down the hall."

"The c-cursed room?" Tsukimi said, peeking her head out of the living room and looking down the dark hall.

"Yes… A ghost lives there… Before you lived here, Tsukimi, we had people moving in and out of that room. No one ever stayed in the room longer than a month. By the time they had settled, they were moving out."

"Is that why it's so dark over there?" Tsukimi said, feeling a little uneasy. Everyone had turned blue in the face.

"Well, no… I'm just too short to replace the light bulbs… I mean, Mayaya could do it…"

"Are you joking?! Something will come hopping at me!" Mayaya cried.

"When is this new girl supposed to be here?" Kuranosuke said, gathering the fabric.

"Sometime in the afternoon, actually," Chieko answered.

"We should make them a 'welcome-dinner!'" Kuranosuke said, smiling.

"But we don't have any good meat," Banba said.

"We could use those onions, zucchini, and mushrooms that we have to make something…" Jiji said quietly.

"We still have some rice, though we'll have to use the small bowls in the closet…" Chieko said.

"Alright! Then it's settled! We'll go vegetarian tonight! Buddha will be happy with us!" Kuranosuke said, posing with his thumb up. All of them sighed.

"I still wish we had good meat," Banba said…

Kuranosuke was busy in the kitchen, cooking, while Cheiko prepared the dining area. She set down one of her cushions from her room. Tsukimi had resumed drawing.

"You know," Kuranosuke said, bouncing the vegetables in a pan, "you should all dress up! This is a dinner after all!"

"Unless it is the armor of _Huo Jun_ , then I will remain the same, thank you!" Mayaya cried. Banba was sitting on Jiji's shoulders, trying to change the light bulb down the hall. Both of their faces were blue.

"J-just a little bit longer…" Banba said. Once the light lit up, Banba jumped off of Jiji and they both ran down the hall to the dining room, panting.

"Are you okay?" Tsukimi said, looking up from her notepad. Banba and Jiji were still blue in the face. They both nodded, silent.

Suddenly, there was a ring at the door.

"Coming!" Kuranosuke said in a chipper voice, leaving the kitchen.

"No, allow me," Chieko said, standing before the door. Kuranosuke nodded. All of the girls walked over to the front door, curious. Chieko opened the door, revealing the new girl, who was shining like a bright light before them. Once they were able to realize what they were looking at, everyone turned to stone except for Kuranosuke.

The girl had a petite figure. She had fair skin. Her hair was white, cut into a bob. Her eyes were a light, mint green. She was wearing a pale yellow spaghetti strap dress.

"Hi-yo!" She said. Kuranosuke blushed lightly. Suddenly, the girl saw Kuranosuke and blushed as well, her eyes immediately darting down to the floor. The tone of her voice completely changed to a gentle one. "I am Grace Snow. Are you Chieko?" she said, speaking Japanese with an American accent. Kuranosuke suddenly raised a brow.

" _I've heard that name somewhere before…"_ Kuranosuke thought. Chieko, though still made of stone, spoke up.

"Y-yes. You look different from what I expected…" Chieko said.

"Oh! Well, the picture you saw of me was taken in the fall, when I was wearing my navy cardigan! I like wearing lighter things for the summer!" Grace answered. She stepped inside, stepping out of her white flats, and picked up her suitcase, a bag, and her purse for a moment, only to put it all down by their shoes. She smiled at all of them. "Please be kind to me!" she said, bowing.

" _Mom! I've met another princess! But now she's going to be living with us! I don't know how to feel! Is she… an otaku like us? Or a hipster like… Or maybe she is something completely different? I don't know what to do! I've turned to stone! How did Chieko decide on letting a princess live here?!"_ Tsukimi thought.

"Oh! Chieko, I remember you told me that there were five other girls living here. Are these them?"

"W-well, four of them live here. The other—"

"I'm a friend!" Kuranosuke said.

"Oh! Well, I'm glad I brought enough for everyone…" she said, reaching into her bag. She pulled out two large boxes of green tea _kinoko no yama._ The girls returned to normal and all of them shouted "SNACKS!" at the top of their lungs. Mayaya snatched them and held onto them tight.

"Share! Share!" Banba said.

"I will! But for now, I will guard it like one of the great forts of _Liu Bei!_ "

"Hey Grace! We've made dinner! I'm sure you're hungry, so why don't we all sit down and eat before you unpack?" Kuranosuke said, taking Grace's hand. Grace flushed.

"U-um! Sure!" she said, being pulled into the dining room.

" _Kuranosuke sure is excited about meeting our new 'sister.' Maybe it's because they're both princesses…"_

Soon, all of them sat down to dinner. Grace opened her purse and suddenly took out a fork. All of the other girls froze. Chieko suddenly smiled, looking mildly uncomfortable.

"That's right. Americans eat vegetables with forks…" Chieko said.

"She's American?!" Tsukimi said.

" _This is my first time meeting an American. They're kind of similar to Japanese hipsters. Maybe they influence each other? I would have never guessed that someday we would have an American living here…"_ Tsukimi thought.

"Oh! I can use chop sticks too! I just didn't want to trouble you and borrow someone else's chopsticks…" Grace said.

"Oh! So polite!" Kuranosuke said.

"Well, that is one thing I noticed when you filled out the _Sisterhood's Test._ You have very good manners, even though you're foreign," Chieko said, smiling. Grace smiled back. "We all must respect each other."

"So, what made you want to move to Japan, Grace?" Kuranosuke asked. Grace's eyes fell.

"U-um… Can we talk about something else?" Grace replied, sounding a little uncomfortable.

"O-oh! Sorry! So, what are your hobbies?" Kuranosuke continued.

"Well… I like paper dolls…" Grace answered, smiling now.

"You mean the types you dress up?" Kuranosuke smiled. "I always liked those! I liked seeing the different types of clothes they had!"

"Me too!" Grace cried, sounding excited.

" _So, she does have a hobby! And it's not a loud one! No matter why she passed the Sisterhood Test!"_ Tsukimi thought, smiling.

…They finished dinner and Grace went to her room, shutting the door behind her. She locked it. She then took off her white, bob wig, her long, wavy white hair falling. She took off her fake eyelashes carefully. She got undressed and laid on the bed.

"Now I'm Greg again. Gregory Snow." He closed his eyes. Suddenly, he heard a voice in his head.

" _Gregory! Don't be so depressed! Remember! You're Grace! Owner of the Snowdrop Brand! Tomorrow, we'll show the world that an American brand can dazzle the Japanese!"_ the voice said.

"You're right, Grace," he said aloud, sighing. "But now I'm living under the roof of my very own competition. The Jellyfish girls work here… I can't believe it…"

" _You were so confident in New York! What happened?"_

"I don't know…"

" _Maybe you can let me take over for a while?"_

"No… The Sisterhood would never allow it. They already have that Jellyfish model around. They don't need another loud personality around. I understand that much."

" _Why don't you unpack now?"_

"I guess I could," he said, opening his suitcase. Suddenly, clothes exploded everywhere. Gregory laughed.

" _You remembered to pack everything, right?"_

"Of course!"

" _Well, how about you put on one of those cute baby doll dresses and go to bed! It's been a long day… And you have a meeting to go to tomorrow!"_

"Alright. I'll do just that…" he said, looking for his pajamas. He took out a sheer, pale yellow baby doll dress and put it on. "Oh, no. I'm thirsty… Hopefully everyone's gone to bed…" He said, opening the door. It was dark. He stepped into a pair of slippers that looked like snails and left his room. He quietly walked down the halls, heading into the kitchen. He got himself a glass of water and suddenly turned around to see Tsukimi standing there. Tsukimi instantly turned to stone.

"Uh oh…" Gregory said quietly. Tsukimi's mouth hung open.

"Y-y-y-you're a b-b-b-b—" Gregory suddenly ran over to her, tipped her head back, and poured the glass of water into her mouth.

"Yes, I am… But you can't tell the others! Promise me you won't tell! Or else… I'll tell on your friend!"

Tsukimi finished the glass of water, panting. "Wh-what? Wh-what friend?"

"That outgoing one that visits you. She isn't a she. I can tell," Gregory said, smiling cockily. Tsukimi gasped. Suddenly, Gregory spotted a fish tank. "Huh? What's that? It's pretty…" he said, wandering over. He put his hands onto the glass and leaned forward, smiling.

"Th-that's Clara! H-hey! You should go back to your room! Or else someone else might catch you!" Tsukimi warned, nervous.

"But you drank my water," Gregory said.

"But you—err…" Tsukimi walked into the kitchen and got Gregory another cup of water.

"Thank you, Tsukimi," Gregory said, smiling sweetly. Tsukimi blushed.

"How do you know my name? I think we forgot introductions…"

"Chieko told me everything on the phone when I was at the airport. If she wasn't home by the time I arrived, she told me who to ask for—a girl with glasses named 'Tsukimi.' I guess she trusts you a lot."

"Oh…" Tsukimi adjusted her glasses. "Um… Is 'Grace' your real name?" she asked.

"I don't understand what you mean by 'real,' but my birth name is Gregory—Greg for short! You, of course, can call me Grace." Tsukimi nodded. A moment of silence passed. "Well, good night!" Gregory said, winking. He left the hall, going back to his room. Tsukimi turned red and steam blew out of her ears. The door closed behind Gregory.

"I didn't expect to be discovered so quickly… but I have a feeling that I can trust that _megane_ girl."

" _I think so, too,"_ the voice said…

Tsukimi got back into her bed and began to resume sketching the nightgown she started.

" _I've met another boy princess, Mother! Can you believe it? Are they more common than I thought? Or am I some kind of… magnet? Greg—I mean—Grace seems nice. She was interested in Clara. Maybe I can even talk to her about jellyfish someday… For now…"_ Tsukimi thought to herself as she fell asleep on her drawing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: She's a GAL?!

Chieko was up early, making tea and breakfast for everyone. She was making scrambled egg with rice and had some dried apricots. Chieko was a tad stressed, knowing that this probably wasn't what Grace was used to eating. Chieko had recently bought a toaster. She stared at it, concentrating, waiting for it to finish toasting the bread. Suddenly, the toast popped up and she jumped.

"O-okay! I hope she likes this…" Chieko said, taking the toast and buttering it.

Soon, everyone woke up and headed downstairs, making quite a ruckus.

"I am hungrier than _Emperor Ming_ himself! He had a big appetite, you know?" Mayaya cried.

" _Kan-kan! Kan-kan! Kan-kan!_ Heading to breakfast station!" Banba said.

"Are those dried apricots? I love wrinkled fruits…" Jiji said, blushing lightly.

Tsukimi came down the stairs, yawning.

" _Dear Mother,_

 _I'll finish that drawing of that Jellyfish nightgown today. I wonder what everyone is going to do today. It must have been hard for everyone to go out downtown to that book signing. I wonder if today, it'll be a peaceful day at home—or at least, as peaceful as it can be._ "

The girls sat down, waiting for Grace.

"I hope she isn't the type that sleeps in… Isn't she a businesswoman?" Chieko said.

"'A businesswoman? At such a young age? Are you sure she isn't an _OL_?" Tsukimi said, letting out another yawn.

"No. She specifically said that she runs her own business."

"Why would you let a businesswoman move in, Chieko?" Banba asked.

"Well, she passed the Sisterhood Test. She answered that she is 'hardworking, but keeps to herself.' I figured that that wouldn't disrupt our lives. I thought she might be similar to Juon in a way…" Chieko answered.

" _Chieko really seems to trust Grace. Her score must have been high..._ " Tsukimi thought.

Just then, they heard the door at the end of the hall open. Soon, Grace entered the dining area. Everyone suddenly turned to stone. Grace was wearing a sky blue and white striped tank top, short tan skirt, and navy, opaque thigh-high stockings. She let out a yawn and sat down, her white bob bouncing into place.

"Good morning, everyone," Grace said, sounding sleepy.

"G-good morning, Grace," Chieko said. "I-I made breakfast…"

"That is so kind of you. Thank you," Grace said, taking a bite out of the toast.

"I-I knew you would like the toast!" Chieko continued.

" _This is how she dresses for work?!"_ Tsukimi thought, still in her statuesque state.

"Y-you're a… a… a _GAL?_!" Mayaya cried, passing out.

"Oh no! Mayaya!" Jiji snapped out of it and attended to her, concerned.

"Are you serious?" Banba said in a firm tone, returning to normal.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Grace said, looking over at her.

"Chieko says that you're a businesswoman, yet you dress like a high school _GAL_ on a weekend?" Banba said, using her "scope."

"A ' _GAL?'_ What does that mean?" Grace asked. Tsukimi, still stone, shifted.

"A hipster!" Tsukimi answered.

"Oh, no. Hipsters dress completely different in America… I guess you could say my style is similar to that of Amiyu Sakihama. You know of her, right?" Everyone was silent, Mayaya still passed out. Grace shrugged and resumed eating.

"Women who dress like you do aren't welcome here," Banba continued.

"What?..." Grace stopped eating, feeling her heart stop. Suddenly, a piece of paper floated down the stairs.

"Oh! Juon!" Tsukimi said, running to catch the paper. Everyone got up and read the paper.

" _I would like to meet this new girl. Tell her to see me this evening,"_ the paper read. All of the girls began to freak out.

"WHAT?! SHE WANTS TO SEE GRACE?! WE'RE REALLY IN TROUBLE NOW! WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR WAR!" Mayaya screamed.

"Maybe I made a bad decision after all…" Chieko said, beginning to sweat. Grace, still sitting in the dining room, began to quietly cry. Tsukimi went to go check on Grace, seeing this. Tsukimi frowned.

" _Even boys cry sometimes…_ " Tsukimi thought to herself.

…Soon, Grace left. Everyone returned to normal and went back to eating breakfast. Grace's rice-with-egg was still in her bowl, untouched. Tsukimi was frowning still.

"What's wrong, Tsukimi?" Chieko asked, looking over at her.

"Grace was crying…" Tsukimi confessed.

"'Crying?' Oh, dear… She must be really sensitive… Well, one of the answers she gave on the Sisterhood Test was, 'If I saw a dead butterfly on the road, I would pick it up and put it into the grass, so it could return to the earth… Nothing beautiful should be defiled...'"

"That's so kind…" Tsukimi said, blushing.

"It really is!" Mayaya said, beginning to cry little waterfalls.

"I kind of feel bad now…" Banba said…

At the Koibuchi household, Kuranosuke was getting ready for the day. He put on the same blonde wig he was wearing yesterday, a red t-shirt with a retro ad for _Coca-Cola_ on it, a blue denim vest with a matching mini skirt, white capri leggings, and tall light brown boots. He turned on the TV as he put on his raspberry red lipstick. The show "Gal Pals!" was on.

" _Today, we have a special guest! She has been the 'Apple-of-Amiyu-Sakihama's eye! All the way from New York of America, we welcome the owner of the Snowdrop Brand, Grace Snow!"_

Suddenly, Kuranosuke turned to face the TV. Grace was on TV, sitting down next to the two hosts. Kuranosuke gasped. He put on pink eyeshadow and his fake lashes and ran out the door.

When he arrived to the Amamizukan, he was panting, out of breath. He bust in, shouting.

"EVERYONE! QUICK!" Kuranosuke shouted.

"Huh?! What's going on?! A fire?!" Chieko screamed. She ran down the halls in her _tabi_. Everyone else assembled like they were in a _sentai_ show.

"NO! I WAS WATCHING _GAL PALS_ AND GUESS WHAT?! GRACE SNOW IS A FASHION DESIGNER!" Kuranosuke said, catching his breath.

"N-no way…" Tsukimi said, frowning.

"An enemy right below our roof!" Mayaya cried.

"I can't believe this… She's our competition…" Tsukimi said, her face falling.

"I'm going to confront her when she gets home!" Kuranosuke said, voice dropping.

"I think we should quietly ask her to leave," Chieko said. "I'll do it."

…Grace came home, looking exhausted. Suddenly, Chieko was standing right in front of her.

"Huh? Oh, hi, Chieko. I'm so sorry, I think I'll just go to bed tonight," Grace said.

"Juon would like to see you." Chieko said firmly. "Then I will need to meet with you as well."

"Huh? Oh? Okay! Juon… Is she the door at the very end of the hallway upstairs?"

"Yes. She has been waiting for you all day." Suddenly, Grace looked uneasy.

"'All day?' Umm… Why?"

"Go upstairs," Chieko commanded. Grace nodded and went upstairs. Juon's door slowly opened, Grace seeing nothing but darkness.

"Hello? Juon? Are you in here—" Suddenly, Grace was sucked into the room like she was put in front of a black hole. The girls gasped. The door slammed behind her.

"D-do you think she's going to kill her?" Tsukimi said, looking uneasy.

"I don't think so… But this is the first time anyone will have seen Juon in years!" Chieko said, looking shocked. Just then, a paper came out from under the door. The girls ran up the stairs and Tsukimi grabbed the paper, reading.

" _Grace needs to stay here. I need her. I humbly request that she remains here in the Amamizukan."_

Everyone's face went blue.

"Does Juon… actually… like a _GAL_?" Mayaya cried.

"How did she know that I was going to kick her out?… Maybe she can hear us through the floor…" Chieko said. Grace exited her room, the door slamming shut behind her. Her face was completely flushed.

"U-um…" Grace didn't know what to say, nor did anyone else. There was silence. Just then, another letter came from under the door. Grace picked it up and read it. She then handed it to Tsukimi.

" _I need to see Grace every day. No questions."_

Everyone's face grew even bluer.

"Grace… What did you do?" Chieko said, looking up at her. Grace closed her eyes, still blushing heavily.

"It's a secret," Grace answered.

"A SECRET?!" They all cried. Grace's face returned to normal and she yawned.

"I really have to go to bed now… Sorry, everyone…" Grace walked past them, heading down the stairs. She then stopped midway. "By the way, Jellyfish girls, you do know we are rivals, right? I'm the owner of the Snowdrop Brand. I hope you don't take it personally. It's just business." Grace winked at them and then continued down the stairs and went to her room. Kuranosuke put his hands on his hips.

"We accept your challenge!" Kuranosuke shouted. Tsukimi frowned. Kuranosuke turned to her. "Tsukimi? Are you alright?"

"Yeah… I just—"

"Let's finish designing that Jellyfish nightgown tonight," Kuranosuke said with determination flames burning in his eyes. Tsukimi gasped and nodded.

"Yes!" Tsukimi replied.

…It was around 9:30PM and Tsukimi and Kuranosuke were going over the drawing.

"I see… So something kind of like _Vera Wang's_ mermaid wedding dresses! That's so clever, Tsukimi!" Kuranosuke said, smiling. "Can you imagine all of the women who want to go somewhere tropical for their honeymoons?" Tsukimi blushed and smiled.

" _I'm not so upset about making intimate wear now. I've managed to make something beautiful. We might have to hire a seamstress again, but I want him to wear it… AHHH! WAIT! NO! NO! NO, I DON'T!"_ Tsukimi thought to herself, shaking her head as she flushed even more.

"So, will I get to model it?" Kuranosuke said.

"U-um! Um!" Tsukimi closed her eyes, her face turning as red as a tomato.

"What's wrong? You've seen my body before," Kuranosuke said, smiling.

"SHHH! DON'T SAY THAT SO LOUD!" Tsukimi shouted.

"You're the one shouting, Tsukimi. Anyway, will you let me model it?" Kuranosuke said, leaning in. Tsukimi's eyes were still closed.

"Okay! Okay! We'll have to model it at night when no one is awake! In my room—" Suddenly, blood shot out of Tsukimi's nose and she passed out. Kuranosuke smiled.

" _I could kiss you right now…"_ Kuranosuke thought, picking her up. He carried her up to her room, put her down in her bed, and went to the kitchen to help clean up the dishes that everyone had left behind.

…Gregory was sitting in bed, tears in his eyes.

"Why did you have to say that?!" he said aloud.

" _I was only telling them the truth."_

"But the way you said it… Now they're going to hate me… They probably won't invite me to meals… Or greet me… I'll come home to silence and eat in my room because of you! Or maybe they'll kick me out! Why do I even need you?!"

" _It is I who got you into the fashion business in New York! It is I who got you here to Japan! It is I who makes business partners smile! It is I who gets you on TV! Today was the debut of your Japanese line and because of me, we are going to be the newest stuff in Harajuku!"_

"You're right…" Gregory said, cutting out clothes he had designed for a paper doll. He carefully folded the edges around the doll. "How about this?"

" _Hmm… A red dress with large white polka dots with spaghetti straps, a large, puffy black bow on the side of the beltline, and two layers of white tulle under the skirt… This is adorable… Is this the Strawberry dress you were thinking of?"_

"Yes, thank you… Now if I could find the perfect model to—" Suddenly, an image of Kuranosuke wearing the dress appeared in his mind. Gregory blushed. "Why did I think of that?"

" _You know he's never going to wear one of our dresses."_

"I know… but it would be nice…" Gregory's eyes fell. He put the paper doll into an album he had and then laid down. "Tsukimi is so lucky."

" _In what way? Because of that model?"_

"Yes… That and… well… he looked like a real princess when I saw him on that runway…"

" _Yes, he did… Don't tell me that you've fallen for him?"_

"What?! No! We only met yesterday!"

" _But you are definitely attracted. And you are both emitting similar biorhythms. You could tell she was a he. You sensed it."_

"So what?! So what if I am?! It doesn't matter…"

" _My question is, did you fall for him because he was a princess? Or because he was a guy dressing like a girl? Like you? That megane girl must be keeping all kinds of secrets…"_

"Oh no! What if she tells the other girls that I'm a boy?!"

" _You could also tell them that Kuranosuke is a boy."_

"They trust him more! It's different! I'm their enemy!" Gregory held his head, beginning to cry. "I just wanted to design cute clothes for princesses!" he shouted. Suddenly, Kuranosuke overheard him yelling.

"Is that… Grace?" Kuranosuke said to himself.

"Leave me alone! Just leave me alone!" Gregory shouted. Kuranosuke ran down the hall and opened the door fast.

"Grace! Are you alright—"

" _Gregory! You forgot to lock the door!"_

Gregory snapped his head to look at him, eyes wide. He was Gregory—long, wavy white hair, with a flat man's chest. Kuranosuke's eyes were wide as well.

"Grace, you're a—"

"Yes. Like you," Gregory said, eyes falling. "I'm sure this will be my last night here…" Gregory said, wiping his eyes. Kuranosuke closed the door behind him and sat down next to him, on his bed.

"Why were you shouting?" Kuranosuke asked. "I thought someone was attacking you…"

"I was… having a nightmare is all…" Gregory said. Kuranosuke put a hand on his bare shoulder.

"Don't worry. You may be my rival, but I'm not going to get you kicked out of the Amamizukan," Kuranosuke said, smiling. Gregory blushed.

"But… Your friend already knows… The _megane_ …" Gregory said.

"You can trust her," Kuranosuke said. "I do."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Beach Adventure!

Chieko, Tsukimi, Mayaya, Banba, and Jiji were all stone. Kuranosuke was standing there, hands on his hips.

"It's summer! This is when we should be going to the beach!" Kuranosuke cried.

"Hipsters…" the girls all said.

" _Dear Mother,_

 _I haven't gone to the beach since I was a child. I've forgotten what it's like. Remember when we used to go when the sun was setting, when no one was there? That was nice…"_

"Do you even have bathing suits?" Kuranosuke shouted. All of them shifted from left to right. "Ugh! We need to go shopping right now and get to the beach!" Grace emerged from her room, wearing a coral colored keyhole dress and white sandals. Kuranosuke turned to look at her, blushing. She then looked back at the group. "See Grace? She looks like she's ready for the beach!"

"Huh? The beach?" Grace said, looking confused. "I was just going to go get a manicure—"

"Well, we're all going to the beach instead!"

"Huh? Even me? But I'm so pale…"

"Which is exactly why we should go to the beach! Everyone here could use a little color! Now, come on! Don't make me drag all of you!" Kuranosuke said, shaking the Tsukimi statue. "Snap out of it!"

" _I've never seen him in a bathing suit before… How is he going to—I suppose he has some kind of technique… I'll also get to see Gregory too… I don't think my heart can take this…"_

Grace smiled at Kuranosuke.

" _His energy… I can feel it…"_ Grace thought.

"I'll go get my bathing suit then…" Grace said, heading towards her bedroom.

"Good! Now, let's go! Oh! And Grace? Can you get a watermelon?" Kuranosuke asked.

"Huh? Oh! Sure!" Grace answered in a cheery mood.

"We'll all meet back at the house and then hop on a train!"

"Oh! I can't wait to see the water from the train…" Banba said, returning to normal.

Gregory went into his bedroom to put on his bathing suit on under his dress.

" _Are you going to wear that bathing suit you recently designed?"_

"Of course I am!" Gregory said, undressing.

Soon, Grace was walking up a hill with a watermelon in a bag by her side. She had begun to sweat.

" _Are you mad at me still?"_

"No… I'm really sorry… I know that you're just trying to help. This is the fashion industry, and I need to be competitive to survive," Gregory thought.

" _So why are you going to the beach with them? Don't tell me it's because of that boy… Or is it that megane now?"_

Gregory blushed.

"I just thought it would be nice…"

" _Well, don't let this little outing make you lose sight of your dream."_

"I won't!"

…Soon, they were all at the beach, the Amamizukan girls all stone underneath the beach umbrella. Kuranosuke was wearing a red bikini and matte lipstick to match.

"Come on, everyone! Come into the sun!" Kuranosuke said. Everyone remained where they were. "Oh, this is ridiculous…" Just then, Grace began to take off her dress. Everyone shifted to watch. Grace let the coral keyhole summer dress drop to the ground. She was wearing a bikini as well. It was mint green. Small, white bows connected the spaghetti straps to the top. The bikini bottom had one single large white bow in the center under the navel. Grace, though appearing flat chested, was passing. She then put on light pink lip gloss and took the watermelon out of the bag she was carrying earlier. Kuranosuke suddenly blushed, a little blood running down his face from his nose. Grace took out a large knife and looked at it, frowning.

"Um… Could one of you help me? I've never cut a watermelon before…" Grace said. Suddenly, Mayaya returned to normal.

"I will help cut it! Just like how _Yu Huan_ wrote novels with his mighty pen!" Mayaya cried. She took the knife and began to cut it up, cutting it into the shape of a Chinese palace. Everyone applauded when she was done.

"W-wow! Mayaya, this is awesome!" Kuranosuke cried.

" _Gregory is really petite like a girl. Though he's taller, his frame is even smaller than mine. Kuranosuke seems to be looking at him a lot. I'm kind of… Well, I didn't really want to wear this bathing suit, but Kuranosuke seems distracted… Not that I would want him to look at me… I think…"_

"Grace! Let's go to the water!" Kuranosuke said, taking her by the hand.

"O-okay!" she said, being pulled along.

The Amamizukan girls began to eat watermelon. Tsukimi was sketching, drawing another jellyfish. Suddenly, Grace yelped. Kuranosuke picked Grace up and brought her over to the group.

"A jellyfish stung Grace!" Kuranosuke cried. Suddenly Tsukimi stood up and took Grace from him, carrying him with some kind of extra strength.

"What did the jellyfish look like?" Tsukimi said in a very serious voice.

"U-um! It had a white clover pattern on the top!" Kuranosuke said.

"A Moon Jellyfish… Very common… I must begin the surgery right away." Tsukimi put Grace down.

"S-s-surgery?!" Grace said, looking scared. Suddenly, Tsukimi pulled out a large bottle of vinegar. Grace's eyes widened. Tsukimi removed the stop and then gently poured some on Grace's leg.

"This requires a very steady hand! No room for mistakes!" Tsukimi said. Grace squeezed her eyes shut.

Once Tsukimi was done, she applied a cooling lotion and wrapped up her leg.

"Done!" Tsukimi said, posing. Everyone applauded. Grace looked up at Tsukimi, blushing. When Tsukimi returned to normal, her eyes met Grace's.

"Thanks, Tsukimi," Grace said, smiling sweetly.

" _What is this feeling I'm getting?"_ Tsukimi thought, her heart beginning to race.

…Everyone finished the watermelon and soon, a cool breeze began to blow. People had begun to leave within the hour.

"Well, I think it's time we go!" Kuranosuke said. Everyone got dressed and caught a train. Banba was humming, watching the scenery go by. Grace had fallen asleep, slowly falling over to the side. Kuranosuke gently leaned up against Grace, stopping her from falling over completely. Kuranosuke smiled at Tsukimi, who smiled back.

The girls all arrived back at the Amamizukan, tired. Chieko made a quick dinner of stir-fried vegetables. Grace was still asleep. Kuranosuke brought Grace to bed, gently laying her down.

" _I wonder what it's like to kiss a boy… A boy princess… Wait for me, Tsukimi…"_ Kuranosuke thought. He leaned in and closed his eyes. Grace's eyes opened slowly. Suddenly, their lips met. Grace's eyes widened.

…When Kuranosuke returned to eat dinner with them, he was wiping his lipstick off with a small makeup remover cloth. He sat down to eat dinner with them, face slightly flushed. Tsukimi was gazing at Kuranosuke, smiling, as Banba tiredly complained about the lack of meat in tonight's dinner.

" _Something about Kuranosuke looks different. I wonder what it is…"_

"I'll buy the meat tomorrow!" Tsukimi said.

"You must take me with you then," Banba said.

"Yes, ma'am!" Tsukimi answered.

…Meanwhile, Gregory was touching his lips. His eyes were still wide.

"He… kissed me…" Gregory whispered.

" _Two boy princesses kissing each other… I wonder what that means…"_

"I don't know… That was my first kiss…"

" _Not mine…"_

"I never wanted to kiss those other people, Grace… This is _my_ first kiss. And now I feel strange… It's not that I'm not attracted to Kuranosuke… I am… I just thought… he and Tsukimi had something…"

" _Maybe his feelings have changed. You're a lot prettier, after all."_

"Shut up, Grace. Tsukimi is beautiful… I wish she would model my dresses too…" Gregory said.

" _You're not using your head, Gregory."_

"Maybe not... I just feel like… I ruined something…"

" _He was the one that kissed you!"_

"I know… But why?... Maybe… Maybe it was just curiosity… I'm not very pretty… Not as pretty as those two are…"

" _Stop saying such things! You're so pretty that Juon—"_

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Gregory quickly put on his wig and put on an oversized tank top. He walked over to the door, unlocking it, and opening it. On the floor, he saw a plate of stir-fried vegetables on the floor. A fork lay on the plate. Gregory picked it up and looked around. He then withdrew into his room and ate.

Once he was finished, he laid down, but then there was a little knock at the door. Gregory sighed, put on his wig again, and got up, opening the door.

"Hello?" Grace said. Her eyes fell. "Tsukimi?"

"Um… I came here to remind you that Juon wants to see you."

"Oh! I forgot!" Grace walked past her. "Thank you, Tsukimi—"

"Wait!" Tsukimi cried. Grace turned around. Tsukimi blushed. "On her note, she said that she wanted to see you in your bathing suit… That's… what the note said…" Grace's face turned completely red.

"R-really? U-um…" Grace's eyes darted down.

" _She wants to_ _ **see**_ _ **you**_ _, Gregory,"_ the voice said.

"I-I'm… just so tired though…" Grace said aloud.

"Juon said that she knows that, but that it is of most importance!" Tsukimi said, saluting her. Grace blinked and then sighed. She changed and then went upstairs, getting sucked into Juon's dark room…

" _Do you remember what happened? Just eight years ago, when you were eighteen? It was just like this… Are you scared, Gregory?"_

"No, Grace. I trust her," Gregory thought, picking up an apple on the floor…

It was a week later and paper was all over the living room floor.

"We have to hurry! Make those copies, Tsukimi!" Chieko commanded.

"Yes!" Tsukimi replied, carrying a pile of papers. Just when she ran over to the new copy machine they had bought, Tsukimi looked down at the cover and gasped. On the cover was a manga rendition of Grace, body draped over a man's lap. "Gr-Grace?..." Tsukimi opened the manga slowly to a random page. Suddenly, she had a nosebleed, passing out. Chieko and the other girls heard her fall.

"Tsukimi! Tsukimi! Are you okay?!" Chieko said, sounding concerned.

"Th-the manga… Th-the manga… Grace…" Tsukimi mumbled in her partially conscious state. Chieko quirked a brow. She picked up a copy and opened it, reading, when suddenly, her mouth opened and she turned to stone. Mayaya, Banba, and Jiji wandered over, wondering just what had frozen Chieko in place. Within seconds, they all turned to stone.

…They remained that way for hours, until they snapped out of it and began rushing around again. Grace came home, wearing a short, black lace dress with matching gloves. She was holding a small bag. When the Amamizukan girls heard her enter, they all peeked out of the living room to look at Grace. Their eyes traced her body from head-to-toe and they suddenly turned to stone.

"Huh? What's wrong, everyone?" Grace approached them. They tried to move back, but they couldn't move much in their state. Grace saw one of the _manga_ in Tsukimi's hands. She took it from her and flipped through it. "I was wondering when she was going to finish this."

"Y-y-you knew?!" Tsukimi squeaked.

"Yes. That's why Juon has been spending time with me. She wanted me to model for her new _BL_ _manga._ " Grace answered, smiling. In a way, Tsukimi thought she had seen what Gregory completely looked like under his clothes and makeup due to this manga. She didn't know how to feel.

" _Mother… I think I've seen a boy for the first time… I was hoping it was going to be someone else… Him… or him… But I guess…"_

"It's just a manga," Grace said casually. "It's kind of strange. The story is about this young detective—he's about twenty five—who finds this naked high school boy curled up in a forest. He doesn't remember anything except the school he goes to—"

"AHHH! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR ABOUT NAKED MEN!" Tsukimi screamed.

"But it's interesting! It's a mystery! And…" Grace folded her arms, smirking. "The detective is a virgin." All of them suddenly turned to stone.

"AHHH! GRACE! YOU DIDN'T NEED TO SAY THAT!" Gregory shouted in his thoughts.

" _Oh, come on! It's funny!"_

"A little, I guess…"

"Anyway! I bought all of you something!" She reached into the bag she was carrying and took out a cheesecake. "It's a 'sorry-cake!'" They all returned to normal.

"A 'sorry-cake?'" Tsukimi said, brows furrowing.

"Yep! You see, I'm sorry about being really immature about us being competing fashion designers! Even though this is true, I still live here with all of you and I don't think we should be butting heads under the same roof… So… I'm sorry!" Grace smiled, offering the cake.

"Ch-cheesecake… So delicious…" Banba said. "And it's from a real Italian bakery too—I can tell…"

"But we'll be eating the food of our enemy!" Mayaya cried. "But it looks so good…"

"I may not be fond of Western desserts, but who can resist a cheesecake?" Chieko confessed.

"Can we have some now?" Jiji asked. Grace nodded. Suddenly, Kuranosuke entered behind them.

"Oh! Everyone's here!" Kuranosuke said, smiling. Kuranosuke was wearing a wavy, chocolate brown wig today. He was wearing a cheetah print blouse with princess sleeves, a short brown skirt, and sheer stockings. Grace looked behind her to meet eyes. Kuranosuke suddenly froze. His mind instantly replayed their kiss.

"Oh! You're just in time for cake!" Grace said, smiling.

" _My heart is racing… But I only get this feeling around Tsukimi… This boy princess… Why is he doing this to me?!"_

…Later on, Gregory was cutting out outfits for some new paper dolls he had made.

"It's so clever… Making Jellyfish dresses in the form of lingerie… How am I going to beat them?" Gregory said to himself quietly. Just then, there was a knock at his door. He put on his wig and a yellow t-shirt with _Nyago_ on it and went up to the door, opening it. Kuranosuke pushed him back and entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"Why are you here so late, Kuranosuke?" Gregory asked, relaxing a bit. He took off his wig.

"I want you to leave," Kuranosuke said.

"'Leave?' But why?" Gregory said, looking confused.

"Ever since you came, things between Tsukimi and I are… well, weird!"

"But… you're the one who kissed me..."

"I just wanted to see what it was like to kiss a boy!" Kuranosuke confessed. "Or… another boy like me…"

"I felt the same way. But…" Gregory sighed.

"Now my heart just keeps on racing whenever I see you! It's… I don't understand it and I want it to stop! So you have to leave!" Kuranosuke cried. Gregory's eyes fell.

"Kuranosuke… I'm not going to leave. This is where I live now and if my presence bothers you so much, why don't you stop visiting?" Gregory said, glaring now. "Besides… _Megane_ will never see you as more than a business partner, anyway."

" _Grace! Why did you say that?!"_ Gregory cried in his thoughts. Suddenly, Kuranosuke punched Gregory. Gregory fell onto the floor, holding his jaw.

"You know nothing about Tsukimi and I," Kuranosuke said in a sharp tone, his voice deepening.

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to say that—I just wouldn't… To be honest with you, I thought the kiss between us was—SHUT UP, GRACE!" Gregory suddenly screamed. Kuranosuke looked shocked. Gregory looked up at him, eyes tearing up. "I'm sorry…" Kuranosuke frowned. He kneeled down, looking at Gregory in the eyes. Kuranosuke then took Gregory by the chin and kissed him…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: True Feelings

Kuranosuke slowly broke the kiss.

"Stop! You're just acting on your emotions now!" Gregory cried. Kuranosuke's eyes fell.

"You're right."

"I know that we both emit the same biorhythm, which explains the attraction, but the truth is… I have feelings for Juon," Gregory confessed, blushing.

"Wh-what?!" Kuranosuke said, looking shocked.

"Yes… But if she finds out that I'm actually a boy, or if any of the Amars do, I'll be kicked out…"

"I didn't know… Hey… What does Juon look like anyway? I've always had this feeling that she looks like the girl from _Juon_ ," Kuranosuke snickered.

"No. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever met…" Gregory said, blushing.

"What? Really?! No way!"

"I also have another confession… I wish you, Tsukimi, and Juon would model my clothes… I'm not sure if my line is really going to take off without such pretty models…"

"You have to have more confidence in yourself, Grace—"

"Please. Call me Gregory."

"Sorry."

"It's okay… You see… I have Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as 'MPD.'"

"'MPD?' What's that?"

"Multi Personality Disorder. You see, there is the Grace you see—me—and the Grace you don't see."

"Two Graces?!"

"Yes… It is quite embarrassing to talk about this, but I feel like I can trust you…"

"You can."

"The other Grace is the one who has helped me get where I am today. Without her, I am no more than a depressed, unconfident boy who likes dresses…"

"Don't say that about yourself!"

"I am just telling you the truth. I am the son of the New York fashion designer, Shelby Snow of the _Grace Avenue Fashion_ Brand."

"No way!"

"Yes… As a child, I liked playing with paper dolls… but what I really wanted to do was to design clothes! Now, I knew that if I entered the fashion industry as a man, I might be viewed as sexist… But then Grace came along and since then, I've been able to look like a princess who can make clothes for princesses! I'm so happy now…"

"I understand… in more than one way that I could explain…"

"Yes…" Gregory stood up now, Kuranosuke doing the same.

"You and Tsukimi are a team, like Grace and I. But… I think there seems to be more between the two of you that you're not admitting, and I wish you hadn't kissed me…"

"I'm sorry… I just—"

"It's okay. I know what it's like to be a teenager. I was one, just eight years ago."

"EIGHT YEARS AGO?! YOU DON'T MEAN—"

"That's right. I'm twenty-six."

"I KISSED A TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD?!" Kuranosuke said, his eyes going blank and mouth hanging open. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY AGE!"

"No… which is another reason why I wish you hadn't kissed me, and ultimately came to the conclusion that you're just acting on your emotions… and… hormones." Gregory giggled. Kuranosuke blushed.

"Yeah…"

"Save those kisses for someone else, alright?" Gregory said, winking. Kuranosuke returned to normal and nodded.

"I hope that someday you can bring Juon into the light…" Kuranosuke said, smiling sweetly. Gregory smiled back.

…A month passed, and then came the Harajuku Summer Fashion Show. Kuranosuke was modeling the first nightgown Tsukimi designed, wearing a long, wavy, powder blue wig with and light pink lipgloss. Kuranosuke spun around, smiling.

" _This time, he looks like a princess from under the sea… I can't believe it, Mom. I did something I could have never imagined doing…"_

Kuranosuke then walked backstage to meet Tsukimi and Grace, smiling.

"We did it, Tsukimi!" Kuranosuke cried.

"We did, didn't we?" she said, looking a tad shy. Grace smiled at this. Then, a woman walked past them onto the stage; she was modeling Grace's piece. The dress was a long-sleeved, short peasant dress with a layer of ivory tulle under the skirt, making it puff outward. It was white, completely covered in a layer of ivory lace. The bottom of the skirt, as well as the sleeves, gradient into a gentle, Spring green. The woman herself had white _kanzashi_ flowers in her ash brown hair. She had large brown eyes, a pale complexion, and freckles going across her nose. She curtsied once she reached the end of the runway, and like Kuranosuke, was well received. She then walked back and then clung to Grace, hiding her face.

"You did it, Mejiro… Thank you…" Grace said, tipping her head up. Her eyes were full of tears. Kuranosuke's and Tsukimi's mouth suddenly hung open. She spoke in a whispery voice.

"Can we go home now?" Mejiro asked.

"Yes… And then we can work on chapter fifteen," Grace leaned in and kissed Mejiro. Mejiro closed her eyes, tears running down her flushed cheeks. Grace then broke the kiss and looked over to Kuranosuke and Tsukimi, who had both turned into stone. Mejiro hid her face again. "I'll see you both later. I'll be making New York sirloin tonight," Grace said, winking. Grace and Mejiro exited backstage.

"W-was that-?!" Tsukimi shifted over to look at Kuranosuke.

"I-it couldn't be…" Kuranosuke said, shifting to look over at her.

" _Mom… I guess it's true… There are more princesses in the world than I thought!"_


End file.
